Members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 291 line High Avenue in front of the cream colored brick Cummins factory holding signs declaring “UAW on strike” for unfair labor practices.
The strikers, bundled up to beat the spring cold snap, mill up and down the road waving at passing cars and cheering when someone honks their horn. The wind whips through the bushes lining the building.
“Dressed up a little bit better today,” one striker said to another. “I’ve got long johns and a T-shirt underneath.”
Someone’s brought a speaker and is playing classic rock, another person dozes off in a red lawn chair still holding their sign.
As of April 19, the UAW Local 291 chapter had been on strike for one month after Cummins failed to offer the union a contract that addressed workers needs: fair wages, affordable health care and job security.
Doug Golla has been working at this factory for 30 years. Now, he stands on the picket line in a gray winter jacket and a black beanie, striking for the first time since 2017.
“They want to fill the place with temp workers,” he said. “They want accumulated vacations, things like that. They want to add that to a company policy rather than have it in a labor book.”
Cummins earned over $13 billion in profits over the past three years, yet Golla said that the raises at this facility have stalled and now they sit “anywhere from $4 to $8 an hour under the average in the area.”
“We’ve unfortunately had a lot of years of rough times in this plant,” Golla said.
The factory at 1005 High Ave. has been there since 1898 when E.B. Hayes Machine Co. opened up shop. The factory that the strikers stand in front of now was built in 1920.
“I’ve been through eight different owners and probably 10 or 11 [union] contracts,” Golla said.
At the end of each contract, companies are required to meet with their union representatives to renegotiate. Golla said that past companies started negotiations months in advance, but Cummins delayed the meeting until the day before the contract was up.
“They want unlimited temps, they want unlimited overtime – daily and Saturdays,” Golla said. “Really, really radical, you know?”
Across the street from the Cummins factory sits the UAW Local 291 union hall. The brick building was built in 1971 and the interior looks the same as it did back then.
Ryan Compton, president of the UAW Local 291, sits behind a heavy metal desk in a wood panelled office. The walls are lined with metal filing cabinets brimming with years of paperwork, and cardboard boxes of papers and manila envelopes cover the floor.
“[They] never say they’re stalling, but we’ve talked to other Cummins facilities and this seems to be their M.O.,” Compton said, a frown etched onto his face. “They like to drag it out, they like to frustrate people hoping that you just give up, just go back to working.”
Cummins’ Director of External Communications, Melinda Koski, had a single response.
“We have been engaging in ongoing, good-faith negotiations with union representatives at our plant in Oshkosh,” Koski said. “We remain committed to exploring all available options to reach a mutually acceptable agreement while maintaining transparent communication with employees, customers, and stakeholders.”
Golla said that the strikers recently got a benefits raise from the UAW International Executive Board. In February the board unanimously voted to increase strike pay from $400 per week to $500 per week. But, people are still anxious to know what comes next.
“I’m very frustrated,” Compton said. “Just for the simple fact that they want to get a done deal, but yet it seems like they want to do everything on their terms. I haven’t seen it go down like this in my 29 years.”
The local community has offered its support for UAW Local 291. Cummins is located directly next to UW Oshkosh’s Sage Hall, and many students walk through the strikers on their way to and from class every day.
“We’ve always made sure we tell the guys to treat the college kids with respect and the college kids have been awesome,” Compton said.
The hardest part about this strike has been the duration, but one striker said that UAW Local 291 is ready to stay on strike for at least a year. In this Cummins facility, there is 100% union membership, so everyone is in the fight together.
Back outside in the cold, Golla points over his shoulder to the facility. Cummins has been bussing in temp workers from Tennessee everyday to fill the labor gap.
“They would rather spend all that money versus just coming to the table and let[ing] us get back to work,” Golla said. “That’s all we want, you know? They’re not having good times in there. They’re dropping axles, they’re not building good things.”
“They’re the richest we’ve ever seen,” Golla said. “When I started here they were making $5 million a year and they were happy. Now, these people are making $13 billion or $14 billion after their taxes are paid and they’re not happy.”
